Research on social influence and power has produced a wealth of knowledge regarding the cognitive and affective mechanisms by which people come to change their attitudes, conform to others, comply with requests, and obey others’ demands. Scholars have recognized the psychological and epistemic needs – including belonging, self-worth and certainty – that render people susceptible to others’ influence attempts. Considerably less attention has been devoted to understanding influence and power from the perspective of sources. When and why do individuals seek to have an impact on others, and what benefits do successful influence attempts confer upon them? Addressing this question requires attending to the evolutionary, cultural, relational, and personality forces that shape motives for influence and power. While power in particular is commonly viewed as a contextual affordance of authority and status, the pursuit of power can vary both between and within individuals over time, regardless of formal role or position. Power and influence can be deeply personal goals that shape how individuals navigate their relationships, work roles, and group memberships.
Research on the reasons people pursue power and influence has the potential to enrich several areas of psychological science. For example, studies on this topic can inform organizational research on leadership emergence and its association with leadership effectiveness. Variations in desires for power and influence may have significant implications for relationship satisfaction, conflict, and role negotiation within the context of close relationships. Group dynamics researchers would benefit from knowing how the pursuit and experience of power and influence shape phenomena such as social identification, responses to intragroup and intergroup conflict, and the formation of factions. Finally, understanding why people strive to become “influencers” in digital environments may reveal important information about the psychosocial needs fulfilled by online visibility and public feedback.
For this Article Collection, we invite empirical contributions that advance scholars’ understanding of two interrelated questions: What drives people to seek power and influence over others, and what are the intrinsic and interpersonal benefits of power and influence? These themes are mutually reinforcing; the anticipated rewards of power and influence motivate their pursuit, while the experience of power and influence shape underlying motives. We welcome submissions that investigate these processes across diverse life domains, including work, close and romantic relationships, peer networks, social groups, and digital platforms. Papers may employ a range of methodological approaches, including experimental, longitudinal, and survey designs. Interdisciplinary work that integrates psychological theory with insights from related fields such as communication, organizational behavior, and relationship science is especially encouraged. By deepening our understanding of influence and power as psychologically meaningful pursuits, this Collection aims to inform both foundational theory and real-world applications.
